9,191 tests in 2025
Mazda Bongo reliability and MOT pass rate
60.6% passed first time. The 39.4% fail rate is 16.8 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 21 years old with 124,549 miles.
Pass rate
60.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 39.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
124,549 mi
21 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 154 | — |
| 6-9 years | 704 | 34.7% |
| 10-13 years | 1,092 | 40.1% |
| 14+ years | 7,237 | 40.1% |
What the Bongo fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension117 dangerous53.7%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment47 dangerous50.9%
- Body, chassis, structure120 dangerous33.4%
- Brakes305 dangerous27.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks16 dangerous20.2%
- Visibility1 dangerous18.2%
- Steering9 dangerous11.8%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems3 dangerous8.8%
Is the Bongo getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.9 points to 40.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 6 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.6 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 10,103 | 15 | 39.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 9,777 | 16 | 40.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 8,496 | 19 | 41.2% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 8,200 | 21 | 40.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Bongo at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Bongo in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength953 tests
- 2Rear fog lamp: not working565 tests
- 3Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively420 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working321 tests
- 5Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt321 tests
- 6Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt314 tests
- 7Integral vehicle structure condition: corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced306 tests
- 8Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect301 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Bongo collects 3.3 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,538 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened997 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure880 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm737 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick713 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn642 tests
- 7Integral vehicle structure condition: corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced555 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded550 tests
Questions
What is the Mazda Bongo MOT pass rate?
60.6% of the 9,191 Mazda Bongo first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 39.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mazda Bongo usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength", recorded on 953 failed tests, followed by "Rear fog lamp: not working" and "Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively". By section, suspension appears in 53.7% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 50.9% of failures, body, chassis, structure appears in 33.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 21.4%; at 14+ years it was 40.1%. The median Mazda Bongo tested in 2025 was 21 years old with 124,549 miles.
Is the Mazda Bongo getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.9 points to 40.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 6 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.6 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Bongo trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Mazda models
Checking a particular Bongo?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.